Fastening device



F. K. HERSCHMANN 2,082,577

FASTENING DEVICE June l, 1937'.

Filed Feb. 9, 1935 o yNEYS.

Y mi M# Patented June l., 1937 liumTED STATES FAsTNrNG DEVICE Frederick K. Herschmann, New York, N. Y. Application February 9, 1935, Serial No. 5,686

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to fastening devices and more particularly to that class of fastening devices for mounting pictures, display articles and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a fastening device that may readily be applied to any type of surface for fast engagement therewith and yet be capable of holding an article in fixed position on the surface without perforating or otherwise damaging the article to be thus supported.

Another object is to provide such a fastemn device for receiving conventional fastening elements for securing the device to the supporting surface.

Another'object is to provide such a fastening device that the fastening element may be stamped out of it.

A further object is to so construct the fastening devices with stamped out fastening elements that the devices may consist generally of a tape that may be wound up on a spool, the fastening devices also being stamped out of the tape and separable from one another for using or dispensing purposes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter set forth in the following specification and appended 'claims, certain embodiments thereof being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of one form of my invention for holding the corner of an article;

Figure 2 is a view in section taken along line 2-2 through the supporting surface, the fastening device and the article supported;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of one form of fastening device with a stamped out fastening element;

fastening device;

Figure 5 is a detail view in perspective of one form of fastening device stamped out of a tape and having in turn stamped outfastening elements;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a wound up reel of fastening devices of the form shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a corrugated fastening device and supporting surface;

Figure 8 is a partial top plan view of a supporting surface and another form of fastening device employing vacuum cups;

Figure 9 is a view in section taken along line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a straight side Figure 10 is an enlarged view in perspective of a fastening device employing a vacuum cup and a removable fastening element.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my invention may take the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Here the supporting surface i may be a drawing boardhdisplay frame or the like. The fastening device is right angular inA general form Ato substantially conform to one or more corners of the supporting surface. The fastening device may be metallic or of some semirigid material. It should however be of springy material. It has a. back plate 2 with a bent over portion looped at 3 and terminating at 4 in a spaced superimposed portion generally indicated at 5. The back plate 2 may be provided with one or more elongated slots 6 extending upwardly from the lower margin 2 of the back plate. The upper extremity of the slots 6 terminate in rounded portions 1. This is for a matter of convenience for receiving the shank 8 of a fastening element, s uch as a tack, nail. screw or the like, the head of which is shown at 9. Thus the fastening element may be driven into the supporting surface'either prior to or after the fastening elements engage the slots in the plate of the fastening device.

As mentioned previously the primary purpose is to hold the picture or display card or the like in position. Such an article is indicated at l0. The fastening device, being of springy material, has a tendency to grip the article l0 in the position shown in Figure 2. In order to augment this gripping tendency the plate 5, or the plate 2, may be provided with indentations, such as shown respectively at Il and l2. In case both plates are so indented the indentations may be made to oppose each other or made irrespective of the position of the other. The number of such indentations may vary for the required purposes. Furthermore, the inner adjacent surfaces of indentations il and I2 may be made slightly knurled and the illustration in Figure 2 may be considered as a sufficient showing of this feature. This gives an added gripping eiect on the article lll. But in no instance is the article I0 subjected to perforation or damage by fs engagement with the fastening device and its con`- sequent mounting on the supporting surface.

The illustration in Figure 4 compares in every detail to that shown and described in connection with Figures 1 and 2, with the exception that the former is straight for engaging a straight side rather than a corner of the article. Therefore the same reference characters are used in connection 'with Figure 4.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated a simple form of fastening device indicated at I3 that may be provided with a stamped-out portion I3 which when bent downwardly, as shown in Figure 5, to leave the cut-out opening'` I5, is in the form of a sharp prong. The body portion may have an extension I3 with gripping indentations I4 This sharp prong I4 may take the place of the usual separate fastening elementl and may thus be forced into the supporting surface such as indicated at l, in such a manner that one edge or corner of the article I to be supported may be clamped by the body portion I3 and its extension I3 with its gripping indentations Id against the supporting surface i, As will be seen, this type of fastening device also obviates the perforation or other damage to the surface of the supported article. As shown in Figure 6 such a type of fastening device may be stamped out of a tape and wound up in a manner shown in Figure 6 for the purposes of dispensing or using. In the latter case the tape generally referred to as I6 may be stamped out in the manner shown in Figure 5 to form the separate fastening devices and the 'tape may further be partially perforated at different points I1 constituting the division lines between each separate fastening device.

Figure 3 illustrates one form of fastening device I8 with a stamped out portion I9 in the form of a sharp prong and bent over to leave the cutout. portion 20. ticularly adaptable for use in holding a corner of the supported article between the upper wall 2I and the side walls 22.

Another form of fastening device is shown in Figure '7 and may be generally indicated as having a back plate 23 with an inwardly extending corrugation 24 to receive the rear surface of the supporting block 25. This back plate is provided 'with a plurality of cut-out portions 25 in the form of a sharp prong and these are shown bent inwardly to leave the cut-out portions 2. The fastening device may also be provided with corner corrugations 28 and an intervening top wall 29. The front plate 30 may also be provided with one or more inwardly extending corrugations 3l for snug engagement with the front surface of the block 25 as the complete fastening device is slipped over either an edge or corner ofthe block and the sharp prongs 21 driven into the rear face of the block. 'I'he material of which this fastening device is made should be resilient so that there is a tendency forl the front plate 30 to be sprung against the front face of the block. Thus as the article I0 to be supported is placed between the front surface of the block and the inner surface of the front plate 3D, the article will be adequately held and supported without any resulting perforation or damage to the surface of the article.

Figures 8 and 9 represent a slightly different form of fastening device, including a resilient angular element 32, one arm of which is provided with either an integral or a separate fastening element 33 adapted to be Ndriven intol the supporting block I. To the other arm of said angular resilient member may be secured by such means as a rivet 35 a vacuum cup 34 for holding the article in place against the upper surface of the ,supporting member I. In this particular instance the article to be supported is representedat 36 and may/be' a plate of glass or the like. ,f'

In Figure 10 the 'same type of vacuum cup is used and is secured by the same .means 35, the only difference being that the member 32 may be straight instead of angular and receive a similar fastening element 33.

In Figure 8 is shown the type of fastening device on the top of the upper-side 31 of the board I, as is shown in Figure 10. On the side 38 of the board is shown the type of fastening device illustrated in Figure 9, showing the angular member 32 to be of substantial length and provided at spaced points with several vacuum cups 34.

The foregoing description of several modif-lcations of my invention illustrates the primary purpose of the invention to be a provision of a suitable fastening device that will lend itself to easy attachment to a supporting member and at the same time provide an adequate support for any substantially flat article desired to be supported on the supporting element in snug engagement therewith and yet not be perforated or otherwise damaged in any way.

It is to be understood that while I have shown the attachment devices may be either stamped This fastening device is pary out in such designs or have such artistic designs impressed or painted thereon.

I claim:

1. A fastening device for clamping an article to a supporting surface without perforating or otherwise damaging said article, said device comprising a metallic strip having its center portion stamped out into a prong-shaped member which during use of the device is bent at an angle to the two end portions of said strip and is forced into said-supporting surface adjacent to said article, one of the end portions of said strip having an irregular contour forming a projection from the body of said strip, an indentation formed in said projecting portion for gripping said article and maintaining it in xed relationship with its supporting surface and the other end portion of said strip having an indentation complementary in shape to said projection.

2. A fastening device for clamping an article to a supporting surface without perforating or otherwise damaging said article, said device comprising a metallic strip having its center portion stamped out into a prong-shaped member which during use of the device is bent at an angle to the two end portions of said strip and is forced into said supporting surface adjacent to said article, one of the end portions of said strip having an irregular contour forming a projection from the body of said strip, and an indentation formed in said projecting portion for gripping said article and maintaining it in fixed relationship with its supporting surface, and the other end portion of said strip having an irregular contour complementary in shape to said first mentioned end portion.

3. A composite roll of fastening devices for clamping articles to a supporting surface without perforating or otherwise damaging said articles, said roll comprising an elongated metallic ribbon consisting of a plurality of the fastening devices joined together to form said ribbon but having perforations at the boundary line of each of said devices such that one or more of the devices may to a supporting surface without perforating or otherwise damaging said article, said device c'omprising a metallic strip the center portion of which is stamped out to form a prong for insertion in saidsupporting surface, the two end portions of said strip being irregularly and complementarily shaped and one of said endportions having an indented gripping surface.

FREDERICK K. HERSCHMANN. 

